Nine years after resigning because the supervisor of the Texas Rangers, Ron Washington is again with the Los Angeles Angels — and he desires nothing greater than to stay it to his outdated membership.
The Rangers this month scaled the baseball mountain and have become World Collection champions for the primary time in franchise historical past. They overcame the Houston Astros, the 2022 World Collection champions and their fierce in-state rivals, to succeed in the Fall Basic. Together with the Seattle Mariners, these groups make up the category of the AL West division to which the Angels belong — and at his introductory press convention, Washington made it clear he intends to upend the established order in 2024.
Washington on Angels’ sole focus
Talking to reporters in Anaheim on Wednesday, Washington described what the Angels‘ focus can be subsequent season, after practically a decade as also-rans within the West.
“Our complete focus shall be to run the West down,” the 71-year-old stated. “You possibly can take that to the financial institution and deposit it.”
The Angels haven’t made the MLB postseason since 2014. Their final postseason win — one sport, not a collection — occurred means again in 2009. The Angels have been in a position to recruit and hold famous person gamers, however the group has lengthy struggled to construct a sustainable minor-league system and has thus did not win greater than 80 video games in any of the previous seven full seasons.
Washington, who guided the Rangers to the World Collection in 2010 and 2011, shall be tasked with ending that sorry streak. Nevertheless it will not be a fast repair, particularly if the Angels’ finest participant leaves the membership this winter.
Ohtani looms over every thing
It is about time we addressed the elephant within the Angels‘ room: the free company of two-way famous person Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani has rejected a qualifying provide from Los Angeles and might signal with any group following the expiration of his contract. Ohtani this week is about to win his second MVP award in three seasons, and the Angels would like to re-sign him — however they should show to the 29-year-old that he’s higher off competing for championships at Angel Stadium and should not be a part of the Rangers, or the San Francisco Giants, or the Los Angeles Dodgers.
If the Angels can persuade Ohtani to remain, Mike Trout — the group’s different famous person — will in all probability comply with go well with, and Washington would have two gamers to construct round. If Ohtani leaves, Washington must construct one thing new from the bottom up — which will not be straightforward in opposition to the robust Texas-based groups.
